It’s that time of the year when you might be creating a budget and along with plans for redesigning your website. However, before hurrying into the process, it is vital to create a list of the things you want to improve. Defining your objectives will help you understand the features essential for your website and the amount of money you wish to invest and. Here are some essential website redesign checklist for the year 2017.

Overall objectives

It is vital to understand the reason behind website redesign as it will help you know the critical needs and team up with the right partner. Ask yourself the following questions:

Does your website reflect your business?

Is the site outdated because of the design?

Are you having troubles in making updates?

Do you need better organization of content for easy navigation?

Design

Design of a website plays an important role in establishing a brand image. Design includes colours, logo and the layout builds. The content of the website and the way it’s presented sets up the tone of the brand. Since you are redesigning your website, make sure that you don’t too much that may make you feel unrecognizable. Find out the important elements of your brand identity and make a list of the things you like in your present site. Also, think from a user’s perspective and find out the elements that detract you from your brand and needs to be changed. It is also a good idea to spend some time in looking at other sites and make a note of the things you want to avoid.

Content

Content is king and is one of the central focuses of a website. You need to examine how much of the content is changing and what you need to do to constantly update it. You might list services that you no longer provide and this can have a negative effect on your brand image. It is vital to audit content and make a list of content that needs constant updating. Find out if the content is rearranged logically and does navigation makes it easy for readers to find it.

Functionality

Today, there are hundreds and thousands of web-based apps that can be integrated to make your site more robust. Most clients don’t have an idea of the costs involved in tying them together. However, these can really influence the price of a portal. You need to determine the functionality aspects and find out where will be contact form and the way you want to highlight the content. You must also see where you want to integrate social media buttons and the comfort level you feel while making the updates.

Planning and budgeting

Planning and budgeting are very critical aspects of redesigning of a website. You need to carefully plan and sort out your budget. If you want to redesign your website from a web design company, most of them will ask you about the amount of money you want to spend. Based on it they will tell you the things you can redesign. Hence, you have to meticulous in this aspect and plan your budget. It is important to hire the services of company that understands your needs and help you achieve your objectives.

Design, content, functionality and goals are some of the important checklists you shouldn’t miss if you are planning to redesign your website. Hire services of a web design firm that understands your goals.

Digital marketing has evolved as one of the most essential tools for a company to reach out to its audience and make its presence felt. Investing in the wrong agency can not only drain your funds but also hurt your brand image.

Hence, it is extremely important to choose the right agency to ensure success. Today, marketing operations don’t depend on a single team. Different marketing teams need to collaborate and work together and learn from each other’s experiences. Here are five effective tips to choose the right agency for your business.

Understand And Define Your Needs

Working with an agency for first timers can be a challenging task. You must be prepared for a rigorous preparation process to avoid wasting time. You need to have a clear thinking about the role the agency would play in your business objectives. Whether you are venturing into new territories or reshaping your brand, you must clearly understand and define your needs. Homework is extremely important and if not done honestly, the choice can misfire. Depending on your needs, make a list of the services you need from your chosen agency.

Look For An Agency That Understands Your Requirements

Google and you will find hundreds and thousands of agencies that understand your requirements. You can be specific about the geography (if required) and search about the services provided by a particular agency. Make a note of the agencies and their respective websites. Browse the websites to understand about the ideas and practices of an agency. Know their core competencies and check out their portfolios. See the testimonials and do a thorough research before choosing an agency.

Extensive Research

Once you have shortlisted the agencies, it is vital to do an extensive research on them and understand their profiles. Talk to clients (if possible) and know their experience. This always helps, especially if you are working with a new agency. If you can find case studies about an agency, dig deep into them. Always look for real and long-term lasting results. There are many forums where clients post reviews about a particular agency. Find out and read the reviews to have a better understanding.

Ask For A Strategy And Audit Report

A strategy and an audit report is a great way to understand the creativity and skills of a digital marketing agency. An audit report allows you to understand the marketing capabilities of an agency and gives you insights about the improvement you should make in your marketing efforts. Considering your marketing goals, ask the agencies to come up with a research-based proposal that will help you meet your own online marketing objectives.

Know And Meet The Team

After you are satisfied with your research, the next thing you should do is to go and meet with the team of an agency. The meeting is important as it allows you to see how an agency works at their office — both from a business as well as from creative sense. Ask and clarify your queries and get an assurance before making the final decision.

It is essential to choose a digital marketing agency that understands your objectives. An extensive research and an audit report will help you choose the right agency.

It’s time once again for the SEO industry to gear up for changes that will possibly come in 2017. Here are some predictions that the SEO landscape is expected to witness this year.

Rise in Voice Search

Experts predict that there will be a significant rise in voice search in 2017 and will add on the top of desktop and typed mobile search. As of now there are about 20 to 25% of mobile queries are voice. However, in May 2016 Google had said that it was 20% whereas in September 2010 they had said the percentage to be 25. This could mean two things – either the old number was wrong or voice remained relatively flat. Voice search will be a high-risk technology shift in the SEO world.

Google: Top referrer of website traffic

Another prediction is that Google will continue to be the top referrer of website traffic and will continue to dominate the web world as far as web traffic is concerned. It will a herculean effort from Facebook, Amazon or Snapchat to make inroads into the traffic pie.

Little acquisition or IPO activity and exit of a major SEO software player

It is to be noted that SEO has remained a small player in the world of software. A vast majority of companies and their tools are unfunded and private with a few larger players. It is because there are very entrepreneurs who have chosen the option to have VC-backed billions to pursue higher success and survival rates as offered by small investors. The market believes that there will be very little IPO activity or acquisition from martech players and there will be an exit of one major SEO software player. The exit could trigger a wave of consolidation and an IPO would make the field more interesting.

Paid search ads in featured snippets, carousels and knowledge graph

In the bygone year, Google had started displaying shopping ads in image search and came up with ads in local packs. Apart from this, it also increased the number of ads in Adwords to 4. In spite of this, paid CTRs have remained flat. It is anticipated that in this year, the search engine giant will offer paid search advertisements in featured snippets along with carousels and knowledge graph.

Amazon search to have 4% or even greater Google’s web search volume

According to a survey, Amazon is beating Google in web search as far as product searches are concerned with consumers searching for products directly on the former’s site. It is believed that in 2017, Amazon will significantly grow their search penetration and volume in 2017 and by the end of this year could have 4% or even greater that Google’s web search volume.

Twitter to remain independent and be the most popular network for influencers and publishers

Though the growth of Twitter has been tepid, thanks to trolls and abuse on the platform, it seems the platform would remain independent and the most powerful network for influencers and publishers to share and converse. Twitter will also remain independent as the premium asked by the company is too expensive.

Experts believe that in 2017 voice search will witness a rise and Google will still be a top referrer of website traffic. It is also believed that Twitter will remain an independent and popular platform for publishers and influencers.

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